So I had previously planned to feature a different brick set before this arrived, but since it's here, might as well tackle it before the rest of the internet has drained it of all comedic potential. ...Which I'm sure it has anyway, since I got this three weeks ago and have only NOW found the time to talk about it... Today, I'm featuring the first ever unboxing review on this blog. This is Loot Crate's February 2017 theme box: "Build."
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I'm excited to have received this box, because I've wanted to feature a brick-themed subscription box since I started this blog. I'm a huge fan of both mystery boxes and brick sets, so a service that combines both into one package is something I'd be more than happy to subscribe to!
And, let's be honest here, doing regular unboxing videos would be a major boost to my view count...
Unfortunately, the problem that keeps me from subscribing to any of these boxes is a simple but crucial one: Money. As I've mentioned before, I'm not exactly the richest guy in the world. ...Heck, with my self-employed lower-than-minimum-wage projects and the upkeep costs associated, I can barely pay my bills most months...
And these subscription boxes are often in the more... "pricey" end of subscription boxes, ranging from $30-50 with shipping, depending on the plan and product... So with my current expenses, and what I already spend on stuff for this blog, I just don't have the money right now for a continual subscription... It will happen in the future, rest assured! ...Just not right now.
However, Loot Crate recently jumped on the brick set bandwagon to take advantage of the recent Lego Batman movie(which I WISH I had a theme set to show you...) and future Power Rangers movie, so let's see what their take on a brick box is with the February 2017 "Build" crate!
There's really no point in overanalyzing the box like I do with other sets, since Loot Crate lets us have any color box as long as it's black, so let's just skip to the actual unboxing.
Item #1: Power Rangers Megazord T-Shirt
As is mandatory of every Loot Crate of the last 2-3 years, this crate comes with a T-Shirt that shows off the theme of the box. And in this case, it's a T-Shirt of the blueprints of the Megazord. This is probably included to promote the new Power Rangers movie coming out... though honestly, I think it's the "Build" theme in the loosest sense of the word. When I think "build", I think "create from the ground up." The Power Rangers don't exactly "build", they combine. It's the equivalent of taking two random Lego sets, putting one on top of another, and saying you've built something new. I guess technically you have, but not in the sense of actually creating something from multiple smaller, basically formless pieces that is usually considered "building."
Anyway, I know basically nothing about Power Rangers, as it was banned from the house when I was a kid and it never appealed to me as an adult. All I know about it is bits and pieces from people who were fans of the show. Five "teenagers with attitude" are recruited by the giant floating head of Zordon and his robot assistant Alpha to fight Rita Repulsa and defend against the monster of the week, first through wearing suits that grant them martial arts skills, then by using robotic prehistoric animal vehicles, before combining them into the Megazord to put the kibosh on the monster for good. And each episode is only about 5 minutes of new footage spliced in with scenes blatantly taken from another show. So the premise doesn't sound too bad, especially for the action-centric kids shows of the 90s, but, like I said, I could never get into it.
So yeah, as you can guess, I'm not that into this shirt. It's cool. As you may have noticed, I like darker shades of blue, and I'm glad they did something different with this shirt than just slap a picture of the Megazord on the front. ...But it's not something I'm going to wear. Maybe if it was an amalgam of two different franchises(like they've done with Teenage Mutant Ninja Squirtles and the like), I'd be more tempted to keep it, but since it's something I'm not really into, I think this is either going to my brother or the local Savers.
Item #2: Batman Food Container
Ok, NOW we're talking. I saw the Lego Batman Movie recently
Everything was perfect! The comedy, the references, the animation, the voice choices, it was one of the most enjoyable movies I've ever seen, and possibly even better than The Lego Movie it spun off from! If you haven't seen it yet, then please drop everything you're doing and head to your local theater NOW! ...I don't even care if it's closed! Smash in a window and run the projector yourself if you have to*!
*Note: I don't actually recommend you do that. But if you do, I'm not taking the blame here...
So to simultaneously cash in on and promote the movie, we have this little thermos-esque container. The box says it can be used for either hot or cold foods, so you could use it as a soup bowl for dinner, then afterwards dump some chips in it while you're watching TV. Me, I'm just going to keep some spare Lego bricks in it and put it on a shelf. ...I don't think it's any different than what's actually inside Batman's head to make him make the life choices he does...
So yeah, I REALLY like this one. It's a pretty high quality, flexible use collectible and it ties in with the Build theme and the Lego Batman movie perfectly! This is one I'm keeping.
Item #3: Lego Dimensions Cyborg Set
*sigh* And this is the one that I was REALLY waiting for and what I bought the box for in the first place. ...And yet one of the larger disappointments.
I first heard about the Build Loot Crate from the Brick Fan Newsletter. Now that alone would convince me to get my first Loot Crate, but, to make awesome even MORE awesome, the post also said that it would contain an exclusive Lego Dimensions Set. ...EXCLUSIVE! After reading that line, all my mind could shout was:
I'm not a Lego Dimensions player(yet), but I do love me some collectables for these Toys to Life video games(I'm also an avid Skylanders and Disney Infinity collector), so getting an EXCLUSIVE set for a game I'm anxious to try out that's already based on a hobby I have an unhealthy obsession with sounded like the equivalent of all my birthdays at once! ...Without the guilt that comes from getting older and wasting yet another year!
...But instead, I just got a Wave 1 Launch Fun Pack of Cyborg and his "Cyber-Guard" vehicle. ...Well, that's fine too, and it's an ok value item, but, after all the hype about getting these in Loot Crates, I was at least expecting something more recent, if not exclusive.
And what lowers the value even further for me is that not only does my local Toys R Us often have "Buy 1, Get 1/2 FREE" with these sets, but The Brick Fan recently reported that earlier team and fun packs were being sold at 99 Cent stores! Which I wouldn't be surprised if Loot Crate bought these sets there, or at some other place that was trying to unload a lot of unsold, 2-year-old sets. ...Admittedly, those stores are a little out of my range, so I can't exactly complain that I could have walked down the street and gotten one of these for under a buck, but when you see just what value these have even in retail stores, it kind of gives you a feeling of getting ripped off, is what I'm saying...
Still, I guess I'm glad I have this set. I'm gathering Lego Dimensions packs for when I finally get the game, so this is a nice little addition to my collection. And hey, it's actual Lego in a subscription box that was a fair price, which is rare, so I'm happy about that too.
...But even so, with all the sets that could have been included in my Loot Crate, couldn't I have at least gotten Princess Unikitty?!
I'll save the construction for when I eventually get the game.
Item #4: Tetris Magnets
And we're finally at the filler of the crate with some "Loot Crate Exclusive" refrigerator magnets. Admittedly, these fit the "Build" theme slightly better than Power Rangers did, but it's a cheapo, "just get rid of it" type of item, especially when compared to the other items. These are really something you'd expect to find at a dollar store, or on clearance at some sort of specialty "nerd" store, like my local mall has. These don't make up much of the box's value, is what I'm saying.
I do like Tetris, though. I mean, who has never played a game of Tetris at least once in their lives? Heck, I'd wager everything that more people have played Tetris or a Tetris clone than Solitaire. And the theme... Don't even get me started on how annoyingly catchy it is! ...Or how awesome it sounds when given the metal treatment! So it's at least a franchise I like, as opposed to the Power Rangers shirt.
Still, I can't think of anything I'd use these for. I don't do the whole "keep notes on the refrigerator" thing, and I don't have a cubicle job, so I can't stick them on a metal filing cabinet right next to me. This looks like something that I'll either stuff inside a Christmas/birthday present or donate to Savers. The 30% off I'll get for donating will probably be worth more than this is...
Item #5: Loot Crate Megazord Pin
And finally, we have the Loot Crate metal pin, which, this month, is in the shape of a Megazord. ...I just went on a bit of a tirade about how I don't care about Power Rangers, so you already know my feelings about items from this franchise. Still, for a metal pin, it's nicely molded and painted and does look like official merchandise. Anyone remember when Loot Crate originally had their logo plastered on the front of these? ...Dark times...
So yet another pretty high quality item, but one that I don't really have any use for. However, I do know someone who collects pins, so I'll give it to her when we meet up again. Gotta pin this item on someone, don't I?
And that's February's "Build" Loot Crate. Not as much stuff as I usually see in these Loot Crate unboxings, but maybe it's because they put their time and money into more high quality items than filler. I'll take two items I can use over 4 that just go in the donation pile.
Now if you'll excuse me, I need to test out my extremely scientific theories of which brick figures can float better than others.
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Quality: It's a little strange to be grouping the quality of several unrelated items in one, but I'm doing it anyway. On the whole, I think everything was really high quality. Everything was well painted, well sculpted, well designed, and well packaged. The T Shirt felt sturdy and not too thin, and the design didn't feel like it would rub off like most other custom shirts I've seen before, so that's great news for whomever eventually wears it. The bowl was probably the best made, since it's a thermos-like product in the shape of Lego Batman that I feel confident can keep the hot food hot and the cold food cold. I didn't open the Lego box, but, being Lego, I can imagine that it's the usual high Lego quality I compare other sets to on this blog, and it's nice that it was packaged in its box as opposed to being repackaged for space. I guess the magnets felt a little cheapy, but it still looks professionally made and, since it's a filler item, I don't feel like my money was wasted on it. And the pin was sturdy and shiny, with a clear representation of the franchise it's promoting. So overall, really well-made stuff. ...Which is what I expect out of a service that takes my money and gives me random crap anyway...
Design: Everything looked like they were supposed to, if that's how this category is being applied here. The T Shirt could have had a more imaginative design than a blue print of a Megazord, but they did still do more than just slap a picture of a Megazord on the front and call it good. The Lego Batman bowl was REALLY well made, with a protruding nose and recessed mouth and eyes, so it's nice they actually molded it to look like someone wearing a mask as opposed to just painting a mouth and eyes on a black background. The Lego Dimensions was pretty standard mini set and minifigure fare for Lego; nothing too fancy but you still get the idea of what they represent. There's quite a bit of variety to the Tetris magnets which keeps them from being too "cheap" looking, and they look like Tetris blocks as opposed to just shapes. And the pin is nicely molded into a Megazord shape without any sign that it's just a Loot Crate endorsement. Overall, they gave quite a bit of thought into how these things would look and how to mold them so they wouldn't appear cheap and bland.
Creativity: Strangely not a whole lot of creativity with these items. ...At least in terms of "out there" thinking. The T Shirt just has a blueprint of the Megazord, which is better than just a picture, but could have had some more "strangeness" put into it, like the amalgams I mentioned earlier. A bowl in the shape of Lego Batman's head is pretty creative, I guess, but at the end of the day, it's just a bowl that serves the same function as a bowl. They just took an already created model for Cyborg and paired him with a vaguely robot-looking set for the Lego Dimensions, but I guess it's creative that he's even in Lego or the game to begin with, and that he has a unique head mold due to being a cyborg. Oddly enough, the Tetris magnets seem to have the most creativity, since they've created what could be easily used for a live-action Tetris game that also serves a practical function. And the pin being shaped like a Megazord does show that they cared about making it look like something and they didn't just quickly paint a picture onto a generic round pin. Overall, a lot of the items are more practical than gimmicky, but you can tell they went out of their way to make them stand out.
Readability: Doesn't apply to this thing. Unless we count the booklet, which I'm not, since I'm not even counting it as a feature of the crate.
Packaging: I was originally going to give this a low rating because it's just a black box, but since you can turn it into a Loot Crate robot, I think that deserves a few points.
Value: Since this is a subscription box, I'm changing "Compatibility" to "Value." I think this box contained some pretty high quality items that I wouldn't mind paying a decent amount for. If I had to be pedantic, I paid about $22 for this box. I'd value the shirt at $5, the bowl at about $10, the Lego Dimensions set at $5 due to age(but it would have been less if I DID live near a store offering them for a buck), the Tetris magnets I'll be fair and say $2, the pin at $5, and I'll be nice and include the rest of the stuff(box & booklet) at $3. That's $30, $8 more than I paid for it, so I'd say that's a fair value right there.
Overall:
It's a decent haul and not a bad way to be introduced to subscription boxes. I guess my main complaint is that I expected more Lego or Lego-esque things in the box, or at least a decent or exclusive brick set to be included. It probably could have used another filler item to make the haul seem much larger, like a light-up Tetris block or something. But for what I got, I'm satisfied. I can use the two high quality things and I don't feel ripped off for receiving the other cheap filler items, since I know my money went into the more useful things. If you ever want to order a leftover box from Loot Crate, I'd recommend this one. As long as the price stays under $30 anyway...
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